After undergoing surgery, suffering a stroke, or mending a broken bone, it is frequently necessary to position the body, particularly one or more of the limbs, in a manner which aids the healing process and, in many instances, makes the patient more comfortable. In many cases, elevating a limb aids the healing process. Elevation of a limb serves to avoid or decrease swelling or the accumulation of fluids (i.e. edemas) in the limb.
Devices exist which help support a limb in fixed positions. Certain of the devices utilize pulleys suspended from above the patient. Other devices are rested on a fixed surface such as a floor, the arm of a chair or a table top. For patients that are ambulatory and would require support of an arm in one or more different positions, such as an inclined position, while stationary, walking, or just moving about in a work activity, the choice of device is fairly limited. A typical fabric-type sling is usually utilized for such ambulatory support. In that case, the arm is essentially kept in one position--up against the body--and is not elevated since the sling is supported by the patient's shoulders and/or neck. Casted supports, which range from plaster to fabric or scrim reinforced plastic materials, are utilized in a manner that holds the limb in a fixed position relative to the body. Cast supports including an angle brace, may be used to prop up the limb to an elevated position, but this technique of elevating a limb does not offer comfort, convenience and, most significantly, the ability to conveniently accommodate the limb to a plurality of positions in the course of the healing process or while the patient is in a peripatetic mode.
Clearly, a need exists to provide a limb support which is multi-positional when the support is
resting on a fixed surface, inclined, round or flat (of different heights) PA0 used as an arm support when the patient is stationary or ambulatory. PA0 resting on a fixed surface, inclined, round or flat (of different heights) PA0 used as an arm support when the patient is stationary or ambulatory. PA0 it adjusts to any resting surface height, PA0 it adjusts to any resting surface contour, PA0 it accepts a wide range of height elevations over a wide range of posture positions thereby allowing its height to be adjusted to accommodate an PA0 almost limitless incremental array of correlations of heights and postures of the patient, PA0 it is an arm supporter while the patient is at rest or is ambulatory, with the same degree of adjustability, and PA0 it provides arm support over a range of patient activities, regardless of whether the patient engages in a variety of ambulatory activities or a combination of ambulatory and non-ambulatory activities (viz., sitting, walking, bending, etc.). PA0 (a) a base having a top and a bottom surface, where the bottom surface has a frictional surface suitable for providing frictional engagement with the patient's body and provides cushioning so that the base can be comfortably rested on a portion of the patient's anatomy; PA0 (b) at least two support members having upper and lower ends, respectively, said lower ends pivotably mounted to said base, each support member having height adjustment means to independently adjust the height of each member relative to the base; and PA0 (c) a limb support means mounted on the upper ends of the at least two support members, said mounting comprising a means to enable the limb support means to be rotatable along its own longitudinal axis.